Dodson Pulls A Shocker

Benjamin Worgull

06/13/2011

After picking up an offer from Ohio State Monday night, his home state and favorite school growing up, many predicted Cleveland Heights offensive tackle Kyle Dodson's recruitment would quickly come to an end. It did all right but instead of playing for the Buckeyes, he'll be playing against them as a member of the University of Wisconsin

MADISON - With all the hard work and stress of the recruiting process behind him, it was time for Kyle Dodson to have some fun with his decision.

Picking up the phone and calling recruiting coach DelVaughn Alexander, Dodson politely thanked him for recruiting him and developing a relationship with him, giving all indications that he was committing somewhere else, presumably to Ohio State, his favorite school growing up that had offered him earlier in the day.

That's when Dodson unleashed the first of his hopefully many blindside hits.

"I told him that this was tough and if he knew where this was going," Dodson told Badger Nation Monday night. "He kind of mumbled yeah and was disappointed. That's when I told him I was committed to Wisconsin and he screamed into the phone."

At 6-foot-8, 310 pounds, Dodson, a four-star offensive tackle from Cleveland Heights (OH) rated the No. 27 offensive tackle nationally by Scout.com, had offers from the Big Ten, ACC, SEC and the Big East, offers numbering over 20, but he picked Wisconsin over his other three favorites: Michigan, Michigan State and Ohio State, causing more than a few Badgers fans to scream with delight.

"I feel a big relief to get the decision off my chest that I finally committed," said Dodson, who visited Wisconsin during spring football. "I am ready to go to Wisconsin. It was a very hard decision because all the schools among my finalists were all very similar, the academics were excellent and a lot of the football programs were excellent. Wisconsin just felt right to me."

It's still early, but the 2012 recruiting class for the University of Wisconsin is turning into one for the books. Of the five players currently committed to the Badgers, four are rated four stars by Scout.com and another player a high three-star player, meaning the Badgers' first five commits could all be four-star recruits.

"Oh yeah, it's really exciting," Dodson said. "I am really excited about this class and excited to be a Badger."

Dodson originally wasn't going to make any decisions until he could take some official visits, but that choice became moot the more he studied Wisconsin. Realizing that it takes a special talent to play for Wisconsin's big bulldozing group and a school that glorifies the offensive line so much that it had three linemen selected into the NFL Draft last April, Dodson knew that any other offer failed to compare to what Wisconsin had to offer.

"Nowadays, kids commit early to schools and spots fill up, so I felt I had to make a choice before I let that chance slip," Dodson said. "I want to be one of the bigs there. Wisconsin takes care of its offensive linemen and I think offensive linemen are one of the most important parts of the team. Wisconsin realizes that."

The rest of Dodson's summer just opened up, as he said that the only visits he plans on taking are up for games to his new school: the University of Wisconsin.

"I think I am a good player, but I'll let others be the judge of how good I am," Dodson said when asked to describe himself. "As a person, I think I am a kind person but when I get on the field, I want to rip people apart. On the field, it's different, and I want to be the thrasher and take people out."